CA CA - Sydney “Syd” West, 19, University of CA student, San Francisco, 30 Sept 2020

[Birdie1212]

I did some looking around, too. It looks like from photos on Trip Advisor, that you can walk right up to the water and follow a trail to the base of the GG Bridge. It's a beautiful place and a popular tourist attraction.

The water has a strong rip tide and has a steep drop in some places that isn't visible to the eye. If she had gone swimming one would think they would have found her by now but maybe not due to the rip tide.

As of October 2, Crissy Field was open. It's unclear if it was closed due to COVID up to that point or not. The comments from visitors on Trip Advisor abruptly stop in February 2020.

Crissy Field is open daily from 7:58am to 7pm.

I read about her disappearance on her mom's and dad's FB pages, but I don't remember what the rules are here for FB posts of family members. There are quite a few "missing" pages for her as well. Maybe someone could remind me what the rules are, please. TIA!

. There are public restrooms on the trail from CF to the base of the bridge. She may have been there at a dark an in-trafficked time and gotten on the radar of the wrong person. Also, if her location is based on a phone locator there is a chance she was merely in transit near the area and not truly “located” there beyond passing through. If that area, as someone suggested, has a frat vibe, I then wonder at the possibility of a date rape drug. I wish that she really were just being independent and free, but these other 2 scenarios are equally strong.

 

[Stormy415]

I just listened to her singing on sound cloud, she can sing Lady GaGA's song really well!

I so hope she just disappeared to her own accord. She has so much to give to this world.

 

[Kaligirl]

If it was early am 1-3, it's not unusual for bonfires parties to be going on at the beach at Crissy field. If it was 5-6am, there are usually people running and biking -- although this is pre-covid so it might be a bit different right now. I really can't imagine a 19-year-old going there alone in the dark unless she went to the beach to watch the sunrise. I really hope she turns up soon - I have a daughter the same age who almost went to Cal, so this really hits close to home. She seems like an amazing person with heart of gold.

 

[BirdieB]

If it was early am 1-3, it's not unusual for bonfires parties to be going on at the beach at Crissy field. If it was 5-6am, there are usually people running and biking -- although this is pre-covid so it might be a bit different right now. I really can't imagine a 19-year-old going there alone in the dark unless she went to the beach to watch the sunrise. I really hope she turns up soon - I have a daughter the same age who almost went to Cal, so this really hits close to home. She seems like an amazing person with heart of gold.

Bon Fires are only at Ocean Beach- they are not allowed at Crissy Field.

 

[distracted]

Does anyone know if it's a nighttime hangout for Berkeley students?

 

[Kaligirl]

There is a place right after the marsh with a tree -- where kids used to have bonfires late at night. Not sure if it was legal or not, we lived in the Marina from 2002 - 2012.

 

[Kaligirl]

Does anyone know if it's a nighttime hangout for Berkeley students?

Not if they are on campus, but my daughter has many friends that have gotten apartments in cities close to campus since they are all online and study together away from the restrictions of campus. It's possible she was staying with a group of Berkeley students who had an apartment in the Marina or Cow Hollow.

 

[riolove77]

This case is making me think a lot of myself at that age. Though I'm now 13 years older than SW, I, too, come from a family of VERY strict parents who often came (and come) across as emotionless. I also got into Cal first when I was applying for colleges, but my parents (and my dad in particular) wanted me to go to Davis, since that was less than 10 miles from home and it just so happened to be where my dad had gotten his Ph.D.

I listened and went to Davis, but lived in the dorms as a compromise. I was miserable. I withdrew and my parents were distraught, as if I'd turned into a street criminal or something. It was the end of the world to them. I took some time off and worked, but eventually went back, graduated, then got my Masters, then my law degree, and work as a DA now.

If SW is reading this, I hope she knows that if she thinks her parents are mad for a decision she's made, it will be okay; they will get over it and she has the entire rest of her life to make up for lost time in school. What's important is to be safe, and to let someone, anyone, know she's okay.

Hoping for good news today.

 

[10ofRods]

MOO is this. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She has a history and her own emotional backdrop, but she simply found herself in the gaze of a predator who also was in the area. There are public restrooms on the trail between Chrissy Field and the building structures at the base of the bridge. Perhaps she went to a restroom at that late/early hour while the park was relatively dark and empty of the normal traffic. At the odd hour she happened to be in the CF area, it’s weird that she didn’t seem to be with anyone who had a story about being with her and then not being with her. Why was she alone there? Was she out or at a gathering? Did someone put something in her drink? Was she only identified at CF because it was the last location her phone showed? Perhaps she was in transit and not really hanging out at CF. Because no roommate or friend has a story about the disappearance, LE is probably basing location on technology (her iPhone locator) or credit card usage. Technology is only as good as its functionality. So, somehow they know she was in or passing through the area the last time her phone registered its locale (or a credit card was used). If a bus goes that route at those hours they can track the buses. Uber and Lyft have records of drivers in the area. Stoplights May have photos as well. There are cameras on various buildings. Hopefully LE is piecing it all together. I hope and assume so. I tend to think she is in a waterfront area around the piers or parks, but, given that she could have been in transit and only passing CF, she could be anywhere. I worry about predators near the bridge or possible use of a date rape drug and the transport of her body elsewhere.

You made me think about the possibility that someone could have taken her phone from her - and then tossed it near Crissy Field.

In SFgate (digital newspaper of San Francisco, owned by the San Francisco Chronicle) there's an investigative piece about young people who have been gathering in the Marina District near Crissy Field. The bars and restaurants there are apparently mostly visited by the 20-somethings:

The lack of pandemic safety by diners in San Francisco's Marina District

While his daytime photos don't look like it's that crowded, it's clear that the Marina (immediately adjacent to Crissy Field) is a new local hot spot for young people to meet and greet, maskless and with alcohol very much at play. Neighbors are complaining (it's an expensive neighborhood, lots of older people, one of whom is a friend of mine, I'll contact her to see what she thinks of the situation and if she's even heard about Syd's disappearance).

At any rate, this could be the reason she was in the immediate area the night before (Sept 29 was a Tuesday, not a big night for partying - the reporter was there on a Friday night).

Probably grasping at straws here, but it gave me some new things to think about and a reason that Syd would at least know the area (she wasn't dressed in night time bar hopping clothes, but the article also says the area has become popular for walks). Even the Marina Safeway is known as a place for young people to meet other young people...

Surely the description of her clothes must come from a camera or from someone who saw her that morning? I don't have a lot of faith in SF LE, but I would think they'd get camera footage from Crissy Field/Marina area.

 

[Logiccc]

I agree. We are now into day 11 since SW was last seen or heard from. If I were her parents, I would really be pushing LE, and if I had the financial means, and from what I have read and seen, I believe that they probably do, I would have feet on the ground in Cali, trying to organize searches, whether volunteers or paid PI. I almost get the feeling that neither her parents, nor possibly LE, believes this is anything more than a voluntary disappearance. I think that is why it seems to be getting very little media coverage, and almost no press releases from LE. Sadly, with each passing day that there has been no reported sighting of her, I think the odds increase that she may have encountered harm, either at her own hands, or some0ne else's. JMO

I hadnt thought of that, this makes sense to me. She seems independent from what i have read so far.

 

[Logiccc]

I took a big Google walk around Crissy Field. There is really no CCTV on those buildings along Mason Street or Marine Drive. Various lighting on the buildings, but no CCTV that I could see. (Google image Nov 2013, things could have changed a bit.)

From my observation, Crissy Field is a popular place for walkers/joggers (a big group of picnic-ers too) and while it has spectacular views of the bridge, it is still quite a way away from getting up onto the bridge if a person is on foot.
I did notice several emergency call phone boxes, solar powered, along the foreshore walkway.

There are a couple of seemingly popular little piers along Crissy Field. Possible Syd was seen by an early morning fisherperson? During the daytime there are quite a few people fishing.

It doesn't seem probable that Syd had moved out of dorms and taken up residency in the adjacent marina district there. Possible, but the housing there looks quite expensive. So, as others have mentioned, it would seem that Syd had some other mode of transport to get there.

خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

I do not live in SF but have been there a few times and walked/biked through the area. It was pretty packed with walkers/joggers/bikers during the daytime. I would imagine that there are people who do this at night or early hours of the morning too. My point is that there may not be a ton of people but at least a person every now and then that either saw something or saw/passed her before she went missing. I wonder if someone like that could tell us her demeanor?? A lot of IFs I know

 

[ocsalumni]

Is there a link anywhere to an 'official' missing persons report, like on NAMUS or something besides Facebook or news articles? I can't find anything.. it says she was submitted as a missing person to NCIC but nothing comes up when I search that, and I'm not sure if NCIC is even a searchable database.

 

[crhedBngr]

Is there a link anywhere to an 'official' missing persons report, like on NAMUS or something besides Facebook or news articles? I can't find anything.. it says she was submitted as a missing person to NCIC but nothing comes up when I search that, and I'm not sure if NCIC is even a searchable database.

Try this link in NAMUS. If you can't view it, they may be making changes to it.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[Birdie1212]

Try this link in NAMUS. If you can't view it, they may be making changes to it.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

The longitude and latitude listed as last known location is interesting. I wonder if that is exact?

 

[riolove77]

Is there a link anywhere to an 'official' missing persons report, like on NAMUS or something besides Facebook or news articles? I can't find anything.. it says she was submitted as a missing person to NCIC but nothing comes up when I search that, and I'm not sure if NCIC is even a searchable database.

NCIC is not publicly searchable.

 

[swedeheart]

The longitude and latitude listed as last known location is interesting. I wonder if that is exact?

Interesting. That place offers at least one class/session from 4-6am. What time was she last seen? (I couldn't find the time in the thread.)

Nevermind, just noticed it was an online event.

 

[distracted]

The longitude and latitude listed as last known location is interesting. I wonder if that is exact?

I think it must be. Maybe she was spotted on camera in that area or that's near where she had been staying. I wonder how long it would take to walk from there to Crissy Field.

If that's her last known location, she could be anywhere. NAMUS states it is "thought" she was headed to Crissy Field.

 

[ocsalumni]

The longitude and latitude listed as last known location is interesting. I wonder if that is exact?

Hmmm yeah that's interesting.
Latitude and Longitude when you click map: 37.7749295,-122.4194155
Latitude and Longitude for San Francisco in general: 37.773972, -122.431297

Because her last known location is listed as just 'San Francisco', it seems like that's what the coordinates are referring to. But the numbers don't match to a T.

 

[distracted]

Hmmm yeah that's interesting.
Latitude and Longitude when you click map: 37.7749295,-122.4194155
Latitude and Longitude for San Francisco in general: 37.773972, -122.431297

Because her last known location is listed as just 'San Francisco', it seems like that's what the coordinates are referring to. But the numbers don't match to a T.

The map shows the location to be Market St. at the 101 Freeway.

 

[ocsalumni]

A new post from the 'Find Sydney West' Facebook Page

If you have seen or heard from Syd, please let us know. To her friends, what was the last communication you had with her? Do you know anything at all that could help us further?
Please contact the SFPD Tip Line IMMEDIATELY!
415-575-4444
Please continue to share these posts, this page and any of your own pictures or positive thoughts for Syd here. The idea is to keep the attention on finding her and a demand to keep the search going!!
We are heartbroken, to say the least. We miss Sydney and need her home!! We are trying to stay hopeful and hope that you will too!
Sydney, so many people are thinking about you and praying for your safe return. People all over the world, who don’t even know who you are but know you are loved! Please come home, sweet girl!
#FindSydneyWest